This invention is directed to a method, apparatus and system for directing and diverting access to content on a computer network and, in preferred embodiments, for effectively directing on-line users to predetermined information, including, but not limited to, promotional, sales, advertising, safety, health, political or governmental information.
Since their early development in the 1950""s and 1960""s, the use of computer networks for communication and sharing of information (or content) between multiple computers has become increasingly popular and diverse. In many modern businesses and organizations, computers are interconnected in a closed architecture, or intranet, to allow communication between defined computers within the business or organization. Open, public-access networks, typically referred to as internets, on the other hand, allow access to any computer that logs on (or otherwise connects) to the network. The largest open network is the Internet, which is composed of a large number of computers interconnected through internets, intranets or individually, enabling computer users to share vast amounts of on-line information and resources.
Information (or content) is generally transferred between computers on the network as files, which may contain data corresponding to, for example, text, photographs, graphics, video and/or audio. A set of protocols, standards and programs, referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), was developed in the 1980""s to govern the manner in which multimedia files are created and displayed on the Internet. The Internet and WWW provide a practical manner for on-line end users, for example, students, professionals and businessmen, to access a large, and increasing volume of information for purposes, such as, research, education and marketing of goods and services.
Users, on user computers, access the Internet and the WWW through host Internet providers, including, but not limited to, private Internet providers, for example, Netcom, or on-line providers, for example, America On-Line, or Prodigy. To access and view the desired information, users utilize browser, a computer program which enables the user to view information or files communicated over the WWW. Example browsers include, but are not limited to Microsoft Corporation""s INTERNET EXPLORER, or those sold under the trademarks NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR, IBM EXPLORER and NSCA MOSAIC.
The Internet is based on a client/server architecture scheme, wherein some computers, such as user computers requesting or obtaining information, act as clients, and other computers, such as the computers which contain (or otherwise provide access to) the requested information, act as a servers. Both the browsers and the servers typically utilize a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to communicate with each other and the WWW. Users who are operating a browser request information, or data content, from the server through HTTP. The server responds and provides the content to the browser, barring any restrictions, through HTTP. The browser, in turn, provides the requested information to the user.
HTTP allows access to files using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), where HTML is a standard page description language. Typically, pages of content, or web sites, which a user may access on the WWW, are written in HTML. HTML defines a document format for these pages and further allows links to be specified to and from these pages to other servers and files. Links are programming features included in a content page and, upon activation, direct other content, such as a further page or web site, to the user computer. Links may include, for example, indicia displayed as part of the content page and may be activated by the user, such as through a mouse button, keyboard or other user-input device. Thus, pages on web sites may include links which, in effect, direct the movement of users to other sites, content locations or pages and allow users to quickly jump from page-to-page or site-to-site. In addition, browsers typically include programming functions that allow a user to jump, for example, back or forward through pages or sites that the user had previously accessed, or to favorite sites, home pages or the like.
While the ability to quickly move from one page or site to another has significant advantages in many contexts, it can be difficult to obtain a user""s attention for sufficient time to, for example, provide the user with important information. Indeed, other than a link to an additional page of information, a typical web site operator may not be able to effectively direct the information accessed by a user such that a user""s attention can be directed to particular information considered to be important by the web site operator, for example, warning, health or safety information, advertising or promotional information, political or governmental information or the like. Indeed, conventional links are ineffective in that the user can quickly effectively jump to another page or site before obtaining or viewing the information at the linked page, by merely activating a browser function, for example, to return them to the page originating the link, or to access a new site altogether. Thus, a need in the industry exists to allow a provider of information to direct the content accessed by an end user, even if for a short time, so that predetermined information can be presented to the user.
Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to a method, apparatus and system for directing an on-line user to predetermined information. Preferred embodiments of the instant invention interface with the user""s browser utilizing the link keys representing the functions of the browser, and any other keys used for these functions, to direct user xe2x80x9ctrafficxe2x80x9d on a network by controlling or interacting with the browser functions.
In preferred embodiments, when a user accesses, or enters, a web site page, a traffic control program is executed for the page. Once the user accesses the web site, the traffic control program controls the transmission (downloading) of data to the user computer 12, which results in the web site being displayed through the browser at the user computer, and further creates a modified set of rules for at least one of the browser functions. These modified rules override or modify the browser default or normal software rules for such functions.
In preferred embodiments, an end user requests content from the provider computer. The provider computer 14 responds to the user""s request for content by transmitting, that is, downloading content data for one or more HTML frames, corresponding to the user-requested content. In addition, further software, for example, browser script is also transmitted or downloaded, preferably with the content data. Upon receipt of the content software data and the additional software, the user computer generates a display corresponding to the content data associated with the HTML frame. In addition, the user computer generates a second frame defined by the additional software. The HTML frame is perceivable (for example, viewable) to the user as the content requested by the user. The second frame, however, is preferably a hidden frame, which is not visible to the user, but is nonetheless, maintained as a frame with the user""s browser. The hidden frame is a peer frame with respect to the content (or viewable HTML) frame, in that the browser interacts, at least first, with the hidden frame during, for example, exit procedures (when the user attempts to exit the web site or page). In this regard, the software downloaded to the user computer for generating the hidden frame includes executable code and commands that are designed to interact with the user""s browser software (for example, upon the user""s attempt to exit the displayed web page).
In one preferred embodiment, to access further (or previously accessed) content and, thus, exit the content currently being displayed, the user may select one of the browser functions. In response to the executed browser function, the browser executes a closing routine to, in effect, close the presently displayed frame, to display a further frame. The closing routine involves a query to (or other suitable interaction with) the open frame set; that is, the browser queries (or otherwise interacts with) the software associated with the dominant frame (the hidden frame) and the content (or HTML) frame for any final instructions, as both of these frames are open in the browser at the time at which the user attempts to exit the content (or HTML) frame. As the hidden frame is the peer frame, the browser queries (or otherwise interacts with) the hidden frame first. Upon query (or other interaction) by the browser prior to closing the frames, the software associated with the hidden frame executes in conjunction with the browser""s frame-closing routine and interacts with the browser software. It should be appreciated that the order in which the frames are addressed can be different in other embodiments.
The software associated with the hidden frame, in effect, modifies or controls one or more of the browser functions, such that the user computer accesses a predesignated site or page (and displays a predesignated frame) instead of accessing the site or page typically associated with the selected browser function.
The displayed destination is dependant upon the executed browser function. In preferred embodiments, the software (or browser script) associated with the hidden frame includes routines for controlling which further content, site or page (further HTML frames) that will be downloaded to the user computer, based on which browser function is selected by the user. Any suitable script language that is compatible with browser software, such as Java Script, may be employed for interaction with the browser to effect such control of content downloaded to the user.
An object of preferred embodiments is to direct the on-line user""s attention to predetermined information so as to increase the possibility of the user""s interest in such information.
A further object of preferred embodiments is to generate traffic for web sites and other Internet properties, and to provide advertising and purchasing opportunities to the user. An advantage to this object is that existing traffic on the web site can be leveraged such that traffic to one or more new destinations can be amplified.
The above and other advantages of embodiments of this invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is intended that the above advantages can be achieved separately by different aspects of the invention and that additional advantages of this invention will involve various combinations of the above independent advantages such that synergistic benefits may be obtained from combined techniques.